


KITSUNE

by Onestepclosertoyou



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Aogiri no Ki | Aogiri Tree (Tokyo Ghoul), Between Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul: re, Childhood Friends, Ghouls, Kaneki Ken | Sasaki Haise Needs a Hug, Kitsune, Multi, Mystery, Mystery Character(s), Tokyo Ghoul: re
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:27:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22434874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onestepclosertoyou/pseuds/Onestepclosertoyou
Summary: "What if, you and I, are meant to part ways, only so that we could find each other again."( ken kaneki/haise sasaki x oc )( tokyo ghoul √a - tokyo ghoul :re )( combination of manga and anime )( slow updates )
Relationships: Kaneki Ken | Sasaki Haise & Original Female Character(s), Kaneki Ken | Sasaki Haise/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 17





	1. KITSUNE

**KITSUNE**

(japanese word for "fox")

▪ 

A mythical Japanese creature, with the ability to shape-shift into a fox. They take on the shape of a human being to seduce others and slowly, they feed on people's life force. This mystical creature can have up to nine tails and the more tails it has, the older and wiser it is. 

_or_

A vicious ghoul of Aogiri Tree.

▪

▪

 **AYA** is not even close to ordinary - she is a ghoul serving Aogiri Tree as an Executive. She is the mind and the eyes of Aogiri. And she is just like every other ghoul - fighting for her survival. And in all the chaos the life has set for her, she believes that one day, all the fighting and all the struggling will come to an end. 

She just isn't ready to accept that the end that she dreams of will come in a form of an old childhood friend...

▪


	2. ACT ONE

**"Some people survive chaos and that is how they grow.**

**And some people thrive in chaos, because chaos is all they know."**

_— Nikita Gill_

▪

▪

 **AOGIRI TREE** has emerged from the shadows of Tokyo and they are out for blood.


	3. ➖ Aogiri Tree

_**ON SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY, THE LAUGHTER OF CHILDREN FILLED THE SUNNY PARK.** _ _Short legs of little humans rushed from one end of the park to the other, trying all the equipment the playground has to offer – from slides and swings to merry-go-rounds. Fun was guaranteed too all the children and to all the mothers a time to chat and relax was assured. But, not all the children enjoyed the fun objects in the playground. Two peculiar children were separated from the rest. They sat on the green grass, the high sun of spring warming them as they held their noses in the books._

_The other children had gotten used to those two children, sitting alone by each other and minding their own world which was decorated with their own kind of fun. It was a strange kind of fun for the other children, but yet the boy and girl enjoyed the books with different stories and different worlds. Young girl, not older than 9, held the book with both of her small hands. "Gon, the Little Fox" said the title. A book with small number of pages. Her blue eyes that mirrored the sky moved from one side of the book to the other without a pause, swallowing the book with her mind._

_"Oh." The girl murmured, her forehead wrinkling sorrowfully. "The fox dies." She said._

_The boy next to her, reading a different kind of a book, looked at her to see the unhappy expression occupying her usually curious and joyful expression. She closed the book, staying silent for a brief moment, overly disappointed with the ending she had read. She was thoughtful for a moment._

_"I though Gon will have a happy ending." She confessed._

_"It's a sad story." The boy commented, closing his book – but remembering the number of the page on which he came to a halt._

_"But's it's children's book. It shouldn't be sad. It should end with a lesson that when you give good, good will be returned to you." The girl palavered, her gentle emotions easily hurt by such undeserving ending._

_The boy couldn't help but to chuckle at her innocent – easily touched by unfairness. "Every book has a lesson and not every book ends as we expect." He told her. "There are other books too that you could read. I can bring you books with better endings."_

_Her lips curved upward, bringing light into her eyes. "I would like that very much!" The girl exclaimed with content._

_And the boy smiled, warm feeling filling up his chest how easily he could bring joy to her. The girl was a friend for quite a while. She enjoyed the books as much as he did. She enjoyed the silence and could sit next to him without saying a word. She was just like him. A bit lonely and living in her own world. And for every book he would bring her, she would read it and tell him her thoughts. The boy felt special. From all the children that played the most interesting of games, she chose to be with him._

_He did not even try to befriend her and yet she came on bright sunny day. Just like the curious child that she is, she questioned his hobby of reading books in the playground instead of playing with other children. He expected for her to leave him, but instead, the girl sat next to him and asked him to read to her. And for the past few weeks, almost every day, the two of them would find each other on the playground and read books._

_"Aya, sweetheart!" The sweet tone of her mother called out to her._

_The boy looked at the woman with long dark chocolate hair which was pinned up by sunglasses and perfectly bright blue eyes – the girl resembled her mother so much. But those adult eyes were different. They were tired. Make-up only helped to cover the exhausted expression which hid underneath it. And she tried not to show it. She looked at him and she offered him a gentle and warm smile._

_"It's time to go home."_

_"Okay, mama." And the girl swiftly jumped to her feet. "Thank you, Ken." The grey eyes of the boy looked up at her – the book which he had given her was now being returned back to him. "I'll see you tomorrow, right. With another book?"_

_Innocent smile spread on his lips. "Like always." He promised as he took the book back._

_With such a beautiful goodbye and with a promise to see each other again, the girl rushed up the small hill on the green grass and took her mother's hand. The boy, Ken, watched as the girl looked at him once more, waving as she walked away with her mother. And with that same welcoming smile, he returned the short wave – wishing for the next day to come sooner._

_And the next day came, but the girl did not come. Ken returned, day after day, hoping to see her again, but the girl became just a dream._

▪

Cry of gulls caught the attention of Aya – now 17-year-old girl. She stared at the troubled gulls that flied up in the sky which was filled with the light of the rising sun. The abandoned park in the 11th Ward just briefly received her attention once more. It reminded her of the playground where she and mother would always past by – but most importantly, it reminded her of the friendship she had built with a human. _Ken Kaneki._ Surprisingly, she could still remember his name fully, but she did not dare to use that information in order to find him.

 _He is human._ A fearful creature that would tremble in the presence of someone like her. _A ghoul._ A creature that feeds on the flesh of humans. And he would not recognize her – she had changed physically and psychically. The girl he had known died a long time ago after one tragic night. Besides, years have passed and Aya was certain that he had changed as well. _If he didn't get eaten yet._

The state of the playground in 11th Ward was depressing. Just like most of 11th Ward. Humans that once lived in it, moved out as ghouls stormed the ward and seized control over the territory. Aogiri Tree brought shiver to all humans that had no power to fight them. Even Ghoul Investigators – or as Ghouls call them: _Doves_ – thought twice before entering the 11th Ward. All the Ghouls either submitted to the organized group of ghouls, or received a painful ending: death.

Lightly sighing and pushing those thoughts in the back of her mind, Aya's eyes adjusted towards the shore by the bridge that connected 11th Ward to its small island. There she saw a group of five people, standing by the bodies of dead men – lying in their own pool of blood that was recently spilled onto the sand. The indigo haired boy stood onto his feet, his hand covered in the blood of the man he killed and stains of that same blood decorated his dark clothes and mask designed with a wicked smile.

"No fight in them at all." The boy commented as he took the stained black mask off his face – revealing the boyish features that held certain degree of wickedness. "Any word from the airhead Banjo?" He asked.

"Nothing." One of the present answered.

With irritation in his blue eyes, the boy looked back down onto the fresh corpse that lied before his feet. "Damn that clown. At this rate, Yamori and that fairy are going to get the jump on him." His voice dripped with displease. "Aya!"

With the call of that name, a girl suddenly landed onto her feet behind the boy – startling the four men that did not expect her sudden entrance – but not the boy; he expected her. Aya ignored their small gasp as she straightened her body. She pushed the black hood of her over-sized hoodie off her head, revealing the long dark brown hair which was tied high in a half ponytail.

"He's in 20th Ward." She answered with certainty – the black combat boots crushing the sand underneath them as she came to stand by the boy.

 _He_ being Kazuichi Banjou. The former leader of 11th Ward and a ghoul that may know how to find someone they were looking for. But he was failing terribly with keeping up with the given deadline and the ghoul next to Aya was terrible at being patient.

"Come to think of it, Mr. Ayato, you're from the 20th Ward, huh?" One men from the group questioned.

"I don't remember much about it." The boy, Ayato answered with his back still turned to them, looking into the distance as the distressful gulls occupied the sky above them. "They're basically a collection of peace-addicted wimps. Hah, come to think of it, I do still have on relative there." Ayato brought his blood stained hand to his lips, his tongue taking a sample of it – tasting its texture. "One of the peace-addicted wimps." And a grin came to adorn his lips.

Aya stared at him, small disbelief in her eyes. Ever since she had met Ayato Kirishima, he has been angry at the entire world for what had happened to him. He lost his mother. He lost his father. Both were killed by Ghoul Investigators _._ All he has is an older sister who he had left in 20th Ward, in a small coffee shop known as Anteiku. Unlike his sister, with whom Aya had opportunity to bump into a few times, Ayato had different view towards humans. He saw them as they were – food and nothing more. He looked down of them as lesser species that were meant to be hunted down by ghouls – the superior species.

With a gentle roll of her eyes, Aya turned. "Just find Rize and don't make a scene if not necessary."

Clicking with his tongue, young Ghoul turned with his body to look at Aya as she was walking away. "And where are you going?"

Being ordered around by Aya, who he did not consider as someone with authority to do so, irritated Ayato immensely. She was only 3 and half years old then him – yet he considered that both of them were of the same age. Both of them were the youngest Executives in Aogiri Tree. The only difference between the two and their position is that Aya is of more value to Aogiri Tree. She had a mind made for making plans and strategies, and she had eyes that could see far into the distance.

Aya turned her body, walking backwards as she answered. "I've got plans to make." She gave him a playful smirk as she pulled the black hood back over her head. "Hurry Ayato, or Yamori and that doll will find Rize before you."

Ayato glared at her as she walked away, bantering within himself as Aya always seemed to leave the hard work to him. She did have better things to do, yet he always hoped she will make an exception. Aya disappeared from his sight – leaving him along with subordinates of Aogiri Tree. Displeased sigh left Ayato's lips and he faced the sea once more. He was left a bit disappointed, even though he didn't let it show, that he doesn't have Aya to tag along with him.

▪

Standing in the room filled with ghouls, Aya "listened" to Tatara's speech.She zoomed out midway through his speech and stared at the dirty ground. She stood by towering and scary looking ghoul known as Noro, and a small petite girl wrapped in bandages. Noro was the silent one. He was a Direct Subordinate, yet he never uttered a word. Aya saw him as the muscle of Aogiri – indestructible ghoul that could withstand so much pain and destruction, yet never die.

Eto was one of the silent ones as well. She would speak sometimes, but she would barely involve herself into a battle. Aya would hear her giggle here and there, murmur a few words to Tatara, or to other Executives. It was Tatara that spoke for Aogiri. He spoke to them for One Eyed King – unknown ghoul who created Aogiri Tree. No one knew the One Eyed King – some believed the title was created only to scare the doves, while some knew something more that was kept behind their zipped lips.

Around hundreds of ghouls of Aogiri Tree sat on their knees on the ground, listening to Tatara. They all looked the same - wearing the same scary skeleton mask and dark red cloaks that entirely hid their true appearance. Tatara's voice came to a halt when footsteps reached their attention from the hallway that led to the wide room. All the attention fell onto the open door though which four figures walked in. Aya placed her thoughts aside and looked at those figures. The indigo haired boy – Ayato Kirishima. Bulky and scary looking man – Yamori. Feminized and fashioned man – Nico. And someone unknown – a boy with dark hair and grey eyes, dressed in clothes of coffee shop employee which were stained by blood. Possibly his own.

From blood on the clothes to his frightened expression, Aya examined him. _Impossible..._ She thought within herself. She blinked just to make sure she was not imagining the appearance of the boy that just walked in. Those stormy grey eyes wondered towards the most capturing thing in the room – the large group of ghouls that observed him. He felt like food without a doubt in the presence of so many predators.

"Tatara." Ayato broke the silence that occupied the large room. "There's no trace of Rize, but we found someone who has the smell of her. And something extra that might interest you."

Tatara stared for a moment, thoughtfully before he spoke. "Come here." His voice came clean and commanding through the red mask that always covered his nose and mouth.

But the boy was perplexed, his legs felt like rocks that have sunk deep into the ground. And Ayato made sure those legs begun to work. He pushed him mercilessly, making the grey eyed boy to stumble forwards but not lose his balance completely. Breathing in and out, he gulped heavily before gathering enough courage within himself to make a step after another towards the group of four people that stood on higher platform before all the rest of the ghouls.

There was a towering figure next to the ghoul who ordered him to come forward. That towering ghoul wore a white mask with wide and wicked smile that sent shivers of fear down his spine. A petite girl with bandages all over her body and maroon cloak around her stood next to that scary looking ghoul that could easy pass as the bodyguard to any of them. And besides all those three figures, stood a girl that watched him strangely. The sky blue eyes of the girl stared at him with familiarity – and that familiarity took him way back into the past. _Impossible..._

The white haired ghoul with red mask took a step forward, startling the young man and causing him to come to a halt before the tall man. His red eyes pierced his very soul as he watched down on him. And without a warning, tearing pain traveled through his stomach. Tatara's hand pierced through his torso, creating a hole with blood dripping uncontrollably. Aya consciously bit down onto her tongue to keep the gasp from escaping her lips. _What..._

One eye of the boy stared with shock and the other was wide with black sclera and red pupils – red veins popped around that eye. _You?_ Scream left boy's mouth as the pain cut through shock he had experienced. In flesh, one-eyed ghoul stood in the presence of ghouls. In the air, the scent of blood lingered and Aya breathed it in – she could smell the scent of Rize Kamishiro mixed within his blood.

"You certainly do have it." Tatara commented – observing the boy's face which showed torment and exhaustion. "That means... it's true Rize was killed then, huh?" And as mercilessly as before, Tatara ripped his hand out of boy's stomach, letting his body fall onto the ground with a thud. "As one would expect, those guys work quickly..." He murmured, his eyes travelling from the coughing body of the one eyed ghoul towards Ayato who stood by the entrance of the room with Yamori and Nico. "Ayato. I don't need this guy. Get rid of him."

Cold shiver when through Aya's body from Tatara's emotionless order – but she was no surprised. She gripped her hands into tight fists, holding back the urge in her throat to say something in order keep the boy alive. The boy looked up towards Tatara in shock – speechless of what will follow.

"I thought that even if you aren't Rize I could use your power and keep you around. But that "eye" is no good. Like this, I can't use you." Tatara stared down at the hopeless figure of the once human boy. "You can make him into a soldier, or a sandbag or whatever else. Do as you like."

"I understand." Ayato replied nonchalantly.

"Aya." With Tatara's voice calling out her name, Aya relaxed her tense body and looked at him. "Did you find anything about the doctor?"

Aya did not immediately answer. Instead, her eyes went towards the boy whose eyes wide with the mention of her name. _Aya?_ His breath got caught in his throat and his eyelids continuously open and closed – he stared at her as if she was the most shocking thing in his current situation. The bewildered expression of the one-eyed ghoul caused Tatara to look at Aya, trying to figure out why the atmosphere suddenly changed. But Aya gave nothing away. The moment he looked at her, her eyes were already on him.

"No. He just disappeared." She answered.

Tatara stared at her without blinking – he caught her eyes and he was not breaking the eye contact – and nor was Aya. She was acting strange – Tatara noted. He was not an idiot to not notice the expression which played on boy's face. He was the predictable one. But not, Aya. Life taught her that being predictable will only get her kill. Aya expected for Tatara to question her behavior, but instead, his eyes traveled to the girl standing besides Aya: Eto.

"Let's go, Eto."

"Okay." Small answer with tone of cheerfulness left Eto's lips which were hidden under the bandages she had herself wrapped in to conceal her entire appearance.

"I'll leave the rest to you, Noro." Noro did not answer to Tatara, and he didn't have to – he was as loyal as every dog that was taught well. "Soon those doves are going to catch wind of us here. Aya, I expect you already have strategic plan of defense ready."

"Just a few more details to work out and it's ready."

And with a crude nod, Tatara answered. "Good."

Footsteps in the quiet room brought their attention to Yamori as he begun to walk forward. "Tatara." He said as he came to stand before the fallen body of one-eyed ghoul who was still recovering from the hole in his stomach. "My last toy did not really meet my expectations. If you don't need this one-eyed one, I would like to take him."

Her breath caught in her throat once more. Aya knew fully well what Yamori does with his "toys". She would hear screams from the tower behind building in north-west part of their hideout. Yamori liked to torture his "toys", he liked hearing their screams and watch their anguished faces. He liked to see them in pain. And on and on, every day, three times a day, he would come to his toy and repeat the torture sequence. Aya had already gone numb from it. She made her thoughts louder than the tormenting screams of his victims. That's why, deep within her, Aya hoped for an answer that will not put the young one-eyed ghoul in Yamori's playroom.

"Do whatever you want with him."

Aya forgot how to breath for a moment. "Tatara."

She stepped forwards and the reaction she received from Tatara made her hold her tongue back. She gulped. There was a glare in Tatara's red eyes that pierced her very soul. One side of her told her to keep her tongue behind her teeth, while the other eagerly wanted to speak her mind and fight for the familiar looking boy that was not what she expected she'll see after they meet again. Gripping onto the small thread of courage within her very body, Aya opened her mouth to speak. 

"I can train him. We need more ghouls for our cause."

Yamori glared at her with so much hate that could burn her alive. There was silence in the air once more. Unease rose in the atmosphere as every ghoul watched and waited. For Tatara to be this quite with such heavy glare in his eyes was not a common thing – especially not when it came to Aya. He turned on his heels and took two large steps to stand before the girl – towering over her to show dominance. But she did not tremble.

"You have better things to do, Aya." He told her nonchalantly with edge in his voice.

That glare in his eyes told her not to question him. He didn't want to, but if it was necessary, he was ready to teach her a lesson about questioning his orders and decisions. Tatara turned and walked pass Yamori, who smiled with wicked content. Eto skipped closely behind Tatara – but not before she examined the anger brewing within her darkening blue eyes. Gentle giggle adorned her lips as she skipped pass Yamori to reach Tatara.

With the wicked grin on his lips, Yamori reached out, grasped onto the dark hair of the one-eyed ghoul. Aya reacted, but the aggressive action which she wanted to commence was delayed. Heavy hand gripped onto her shoulder, hard enough to make her bones almost crush under its grip. She glared at the towering man behind her. Noro, with eyeless mask, shook his head gently – warning her not to do whatever she planned to do. Noro held her in her place, preventing her from doing anything that will question Tatara's trust in her.

Provoking her, Yamori's laughter vibrated with evil intentions. The boy struggled against the strong grip of the bulky man as he dragged him over the floor – blood from the regenerating wound staining the floor. Those grey eyes of the boy pleaded for Aya to help – but she was absolutely helpless; fighting a battle with her own choices of what is right and what is wrong. Her nails dug into the palm of her hands, causing pain to set her mind from the need to attack the deranged ghoul. And deep within herself, she was angry for being unable to do anything without losing something great in return.


	4. ➖ Sympathy for the Broken

**BARELY A DAY HAD PASSED SINCE YAMORI FOUND A NEW TOY TO PLAY WITH.** And Aya was hopelessly listening to the screams that emitted from his tower – his playroom. Yakumo Oomori, known as Yamori, as well as 13th Ward's Jason due to his brutality. Of all the members of Aogiri Tree, he was her least favorite one. He was arrogant, sadistic and violent. But he was not always like that – at least that's what Aya heard. His time in Cochlea – Ghoul Prison – changed him for the worst. He enjoyed pain and he loved to see his victims bleed. Every few days, another victim would experience his brutal methods of torture. None walked out of his playroom; at least not intact.

"Tatara wants to speak with you."

Aya gripped the rails of the fence as she stood on top of the building – observing the surroundings of Aogiri's Hideout. It was quiet. Too quiet for Aya's taste as tormenting screams managed to reach her ears. Those screams were nagging her in the most irritating way. She was imagining all kinds of sadistic tortures involving instruments that could tear a body apart with brutal force. And she hated her mind because of it. It had a wild imagination that made her question her own sanity.

"Didn't you hear me, idiot?! Tatara—"

"I heard you, idiot!" She harshly interrupted Ayato before he could repeat himself. "You don't have to tell me twice." She glared at him with a look that could kill.

But that glare was short. She returned her attention back onto the dark distance which was enlighten with street lights. She could see, but she knew that Ghoul Investigators were already brewing up a plan to get to Aogiri Tree with all people and weaponry they have. Just like Aogiri, they were planning. And Aya was not sure what to expect – she was certain they will come with enough resources to destroy them.

While in her thoughts, Aya did not forget about Ayato who was still in her presence. "What's with you?" He questioned as he leaned with his back against the railing, tucking his hands into the pockets of his pants. "Ever since we got that one-eyed bastard here you've been acting differently."

Ayato Kirishima was not the friendliest of Aogiri Tree. He was brash, arrogant and hot-blooded. For the simplest mistake, he would respond with violence. And Ayato expected for Aya to fear him – but she would mock his actions and twist him around her little finger without fear. It was probable the reason why the two of them saw each other as friends – and not just partners. Ayato did not join Aogiri Tree to make friends, but he found one in Aya – however, of course he was too proud to admit she meant to him more than anyone else in Aogiri Tree. Usually he wouldn't care whatever anyone was acting different, but that was not the case with Aya.

"I know him." Ayato's eyebrows rose in wonder. "Before the doves killed my mother, we used to be friends."

"That was... 8 years ago, right?"

For someone who seemed always uninterested when it came to lives of others, Aya was surprised he remembered that little detail she had once mentioned to him. With brief content in her eyes, Aya nodded to him, confirming it.

"Life has funny ways of placing people into your life." Aya commented quietly.

"It will be even more funnier when Tatara kills you for making him wait." Aya chuckled to Ayato's apathetic reminder.

She looked at the indigo haired boy who appeared tough before her – showing no concern for her well-being when in fact, deeply within him, he cared for her. Chuckling at his tough persona, Aya breathed in deeply, for a moment forgetting about the suffering boy a few building away from them.

"We wouldn't want that, would we?"

Ayato simply shrugged with his shoulders. He watched her as she made her way off the roof of the building. Through the hallways of the buildings, Aya knew exactly where to find Tatara. He was always in the same place, in the Auditorium, thinking, waiting. And walking with her own pace through the old walls of the halls, Aya came to the wide room – the stench of one-eyed ghoul's blood still stained the floor. Memory of yesterday rolled into her mind and it took Aya all her thoughts to push that memory away just to prepare herself for whatever Tatara will tell her.

Quiet, mysterious and seemingly patient, Tatara saw on the worn-out leather couch. His red piercing eyes did not avert from her petite body as she approached in the pace she chose. His stoic appearance made many tremble before him – his very eyes effortlessly made shivers run down anyone's body. Even Aya felt a degree of unease in his presence, but she didn't want to tremble – she didn't allow Tatara to think he had established dominance over her emotions.

And just like a little puppy, always by his side, on the head lean of the couch sat the petite ghoul in tattered maroon cloak with droopy ears. Eto watched the girl with black ripped jeans with interest. Her elbows rested on the tips of her knees and silently, the eyes she hid under the bandages watched every step Aya made. Those sky blue eyes disinterestedly glanced at Eto. She came to a halt and her eyes averted back towards Tatara.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Alone in the room with them, Aya's voice almost echoed to every corner.

"Are you questioning my authority, Aya?" He went straight to point – just as Aya expected.

Her heart clenched in her chest for a moment – she knew speaking up yesterday was going to be questioned. Tatara did not leave room for errors – whatever there was something or someone that could affect their cause, Tatara made sure to remove it. Right now, Aya's behavior yesterday was being questioned.

"No."

It was the simplest answer that she could give him – and that answer did not put Tatara at ease. The small dissatisfied groan that came from underneath his red mask told Aya that this conversation will become quite unpleasant for her. Tatara rose onto his feet, once again towering before without even being close.

"Then why did you question my choice with the one-eyed one?"

"Because I didn't see a reason why such potential ghoul should go to waste by Yamori's hand."

"Potential?" Tatara chuckled to her reason. "Don't make me laugh."

To Tatara, Aya was a valuable ghoul to have in the ranks of Aogiri Tree. He could not allow her to question his decisions or let herself think that she has the authority to make decisions without his consent. Tatara was the leader of Aogiri, direct subordinate of One-eyed King, he could not allow insolence within Aogiri's ranks. He could definitely not allow it when it came to the mind and eyes of Aogiri Tree – for Aya, he would make an extra effort in putting her back into her place.

"Was it compassion, Aya?" Tatara stepped forth towards her. "Did you feel sorry for such pitiful creature?"

Aya's eyes hardened. "No." She did not dare to speak more words that needed in the presence of Tatara – short and obedient will get her out of the room quicker than giving Tatara a piece of her mind.

But Tatara knew there was more on Aya's tongue that wished to leave her mouth. She stared up at him fearlessly – and it irritated Tatara as much as it made him proud. Aogiri needed strong leaders that did not tremble before the most terrible of foes. Aya was perfect leader in Tatara's eyes – but he didn't want to give her a chance to be arrogant with her talents. As long as he was alive, Tatara did not let anyone think they could replace him.

"Good." He leaded dangerously close, threateningly invading Aya's personal space. "Question my decisions one more time, and I will break you until you become nothing but a broken doll."

 _Expendable._ Every member of Aogiri Tree was just a pawn in a very large game. As much as Aya was important to Aogiri's cause, she was no less expendable. Removing her from their ranks would weaken Aogiri's strengthen, but there was always someone else that could replace her. Tatara kept a dangerous eye contact to her, watching her standing still and strong, holding back every itch on her body that told her to yield before the stronger ghoul.

"You may leave now." Tatara moved away – giving her room to breathe. "I want the strategic plan of defense ready be the morning."

Aya said nothing more – she held her voice behind her teeth where it should be in the presence of Tatara. Briefly, her eyes wondered towards the quiet watcher wrapped in bandages. And she turned on her heels, walking away in faster pace than in which she came. Tatara and Eto quietly watched, her footsteps only becoming a distant sound that was swallowed into the silence.

"She has a lot to learn, Eto."

Playfully, the petite figure raised onto her feet, twirling on the tips of her toes and skipping onto the ground. "She'll learn. One way or another."

▪

Another day had gone by. Aya did as she was told – she prepared the defense plan with every position covered. CCG – Commission of Counter Ghoul – will definitely come for every side possible. Tatara was satisfied, at least Aya hoped that was the case. He did say anything as Aya presented the plan to him – and it was up to him to make the last decision.

Disappearing from all the Aogiri members, Aya found herself at her usual place – on top of the building of Aogiri's hideout. One more night of observing. She could never be too careful with CCG – she knew that CCG knew they were hidden somewhere within 11th Ward and their location might have found its way within their Headquarters. They were preparing – Aya was certain that any day now, they will be on their way to their hideout and Aya will see them coming.

Usually, all that was on her mind was CCG and plans for Aogiri Tree's cause. But not anymore. Her mind drifted off towards the tower from which she heard screams once again – she lost the count of how many times she had heard those screams. Aya thought she would get use to them – but her mind did not let her. Even in her dreams, she would see Ken Kaneki, blood and unending screams that brought her out of her nightmares. But this point, she was suffering from insomnia.

The screams stopped in the night. And her eyes watched as Yamori left the tower with satisfied grin. Aya knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't live with the nagging feeling within her body that tormented her though day and night. She was being soft – feeling such concern and sympathy for a boy that was once only a human – and now it was a half-ghoul made from Rize's organs. Aya heard of the incident that had taken place in 20th Ward with steel beams falling on constructive site – but never in her wildest of thoughts she thought he could have been involved. 

Sneaking through the grounds of Aogiri's hideout, Aya found her way in front of the door that lead to Yamori's playroom. Her hand reached forward, but suddenly, something halted her actions. _Is he even alive? What should I say to him? How should I speak to him? Does he even remember me?_ Countless of questions weighed on her mind, taking all the confidence she had. After all, eight years have passed since the last time she had seen him. She had changed. He had changed. Everything had changed.

Breathing in indecisively, Aya begun to gather her courage to prepare herself for whatever sight might await her behind the closed door. Gripping the door knob, she twisted it and pushed it open slowly – making a silent sound as she peaked inside. And the scene was not as gruesome as her mad mind had imagine it. There was blood on the floor with toes and fingers missing from the broken body of a boy. The blood stopped oozing from the teared out places and regeneration process kicked in.

"...265...258...251...244..."

Aya's forehead wrinkled at the sound of the broken voice that counted down in pain. The bangs of his black hair hide the true facial expression from Aya's sight. And at the moment, Aya was still gathering up the courage to be able to look him the eye. He was shivering the chair that held so many victims chained and helpless.

"...237...230...223...216..."

Even though he heard the footsteps of leather boots, he didn't stop counting. He was only imagining – he thought. There was help coming – he was kept in a loop without salvation. His only escape were the numbers and his own thoughts that took him into the past and back to reality. Constantly drifting in between.

"...209...202...195...188..."

"Ken?"

_Mom?_

The sobbing disappeared and the boy looked in front of himself. Blue eyes in which he could get lost stared up at him. _Who are you?_ The girl kneeled before him, looking at his tormented expression that showed hope. He saw light in her – his savior. _Pretty._ Ken thought as he watched the pale face framed by long dark brown hair. _What kind of a dream is this?_

Little unsure smile came to her lips. "Hi..." She whispered silently. "Remember me?"

His mind got hazy. He saw a little girl with a big smile on her face, her eyes always so light from all the joy. He always made her smile. Whatever it is a book he gave her or a something he said, she would smile. He remembers being important to her... until one day she never came to the park where they always read books and bantered. He waited day after day for her, but she never showed up. So many years passed by, and from time to time, he would remember her.

"Aya..."

And a smile spread, bringing light into her blue eyes just as he remembers. The anxiousness disappeared off her shoulder and she felt at ease. _He remembers me._ Her hand reached forwards, tracing away the tears that stained his cheeks. With the softness of her skin, she touched his skin and caressed it with tenderness. Pain disappeared and Ken left himself enjoy the dream – not knowing that it was actually reality that was caressing him so gently.

"It's been so long. I'm sorry I never came back to that playground. I just simply couldn't." Her hand retraced back to her lap and Ken opened his eyes – searching for the absence of her warmth. "So much had happened to me since the last time we saw each other. To you too. I knew we would see each other again... but not like this."

Ken watched her, his mind listened to her words. She seemed so real, there was unusual silence and it took him a while to realize he was not dreaming. She was not just an imaginary scene; she was not in his dream to comfort him. _You're here._ He wanted to reach forward, but pain cut through his body. He looked hideous. Tears filled his eyes as he looked back down onto his missing toes and fingers. He felt so miserable in her presence, so vulnerable and wrecked. Cry left his lips, taking away the smile from Aya's expression and replacing it with concern.

"Shhh, shhh... Please don't cry." She tried to comfort him.

"Kill me." An arrow pierced her very heart upon hearing his desperate request. "Kill me. Kill me. Kill me." And he repeated himself over and over again.

His desperate cries broke something within Aya. _Stupid sympathy._ She cursed herself for letting one-eyed ghoul touch her heart. He didn't deserve it. All the torture was thrust onto him and he was suffocating. And she couldn't watch him begging for death to come sooner. _Not him._ He did not deserve to experience such torment. The image of that innocent human repeatedly played inside her head and she imaged that child being the one it the blood-stained chair, endlessly being tortured with pain becoming the only familiar physical feeling. It awoke something old in her – the compassion which she left behind in her youth in order to survive the ranks of Aogiri Tree.

Breathing in, Aya confidently reached out to grasp onto the chains that bind his ankles. Her hands gripped onto them metal and she was ready to put all her strength into her arms in order to rip them apart without causing him more pain. But she hesitated. There was someone in the room – other that her and Ken. He watched her in silence, observing her actions carefully. Ken's murmuring continued, but his voice disappeared into the back of her mind and she focused onto the person standing behind her.

"So, Tatara was right."

Aya pushed herself onto her feet quickly and faced the small voice behind her. It was Eto. Standing still with hands behind her back, watching Aya with curiosity. Aya didn't know how long she stood there, but she saw enough to know Aya's true feelings. The guard Aya always wore simply begun to crumble and the softness Aya carried revealed itself to Eto – a mysterious individual of Aogiri Tree that nobody knew much about. Except for Aya, she knew too much.

"You are becoming soft." Eto pointed out with tone of disappointed.

"He doesn't deserve this, Eto." Aya replied with a steady voice.

"Oh?" Eto curiously responded. "He doesn't, does he?" Silently, she took small steps towards her – tip toeing one foot in front of the other. "But is he worth it?" She questioned her. "Will you really allow one feeble creature to destroy all you have accomplished with Aogiri Tree?"

Her sanity was being questioned. Her heart was being teared between what is right and what it wrong. Righteousness or wickedness. To do what she knew is right and good, or to kill the goodness she still had in herself for the cause that has become her life. Ken looked up at Aya to see her struggling with her own self. She wanted to save him. She wanted to rip the chains off of him and free him. But there was another person within her, whispering wicked words to her. The voice told her to let him die. The voice mocked her softness as her downfall. It was tearing her apart, eating her very own sanity.

"The One-Eyed King has put so much trust in you, and you are going to disappoint him?" Eto further questioned her, standing just a few steps away from her. "Because of one insignificant boy?"

 _Insignificant?_ Aya realized just how foolish she was being – putting her loyalty on the line because of one meaningless boy that will die sooner or later. Yamori was going to break him – he breaks all of his toys and Aya knew this one won't make it another day. The role she played was of too much value to be destroyed by someone so breakable.

Her expression became cold, her eyes distant and emotionless. Ken watched as the light she once held in herself turn into night. So cold and scary. He was not looking at Aya who he remembers, but someone who lost all the joy in the world. Without hesitation, she walked away from him.

Satisfying smile adorned Eto's lips. "That's a good girl."

With a giggle echoing through the room, Eto skipped behind the ghoul. Aya twisted every bit of need within her to turn back around and choose differently. She knew she was doing the right thing, but she didn't wish for it to be the right choice. Aya wanted a different choice, different circumstances, different opportunities. But that was life for her – she was a marionette; and a marionette always moves how the puppeteer desires.

The door closed and Ken was once against left all alone in the room with his own pain. The ray of hope that came to him disappeared as if a large and dark cloud came passing by. It was cold, being all alone.

"Aya?" His body shook as a wave of desperateness crushed him. "Aya!"


	5. ➖ Tormented Soul

**DAY 10. AND THE BOY IN YAMORI’S “HOBBY ROOM” STILL LIVED.** Every day, three times a day, Yamori would come to his hobby room to enjoy the anguished screams of Ken as he tears toe by toe, finger by finger with his special pliers. _Needle in the eye and the pain begun._ Yamori injected Ken in the mucous membrane with Rc suppressants to suppress his ghoul powers and cut off his fingers and toes like nails. Afterwards, he would feed them to him in order for him to regrow the limbs he brutally lost. _Every day, three times a day… 1000 minus 7… Centipedes... in my ears…_

In Ken’s mind, there was Rize. _Rize Kamishiro._ A human he thought, _how foolish of him._ She was a ghoul and he was her prey. The day when she toyed with him, he should have died. The steel beam should have crushed him too, but instead, only she was crushed. Professor Akihiro Kanou transplanted kidney into him, or so he was told, when actually it was Rize’s kakuhou that was put into him – it changed him – he became a half-ghoul without any ability to consume human food. Everything change for him. Everything that had happened, pattern of circumstances, lead him to the place he’s now.

To escape the never-ending pain, Ken drowned himself in his own thoughts. Rize was there. She talked to him. He told her about his father who he had lost when he was four years old. He could barely remember his face and what kind of a person he is. But one thing he knew about his father was that he liked reading and had loads of books. To connect to his father, Ken begun to read books his father once read and that’s how his interest in literature grew. Books became his escape from reality – from the fact that his mother struggled every day to bring food on the table for both of them. Until one day, his mother overworked herself – leaving him as an orphan.

He was 10 when his mother died. And the only relatives were the family of his mother’s sister – the woman who always asked his mother for money. He was adopted into Asaoka’ family. His aunt always compared him to her son, Yuuichi – he believes his names was. To escape the hostile family of his aunt, Ken would go to park with a few books that belonged to his late father, and he would read. And that’s when he met Aya – a girl who was a year younger than him. From all the other fun activates, the girl chose to be with him. He felt important.

_“She only wanted to devour you.”_

_You’re lying._

_“She saw you as nothing more but a juicy supply.”_

_No, she didn’t._

The hallucination Rize kept twisting his thoughts – changing them and changing his feelings for Aya. And maybe she was right to do so. She left him. She could have saved him. But she left him chained to the blood stained chair for days. She left him to experience any kind of torture, both physical and psychical. Yamori had no mercy – he wants to shatter him into pieces until he completely loses his sanity. But still, Ken was holding onto something that was keeping him alive.

Door opened and closed. Ken wondered why Yamori came so early – maybe he was becoming impatient. His toes and fingers regenerated at a very fast pace – which made Yamori satisfied. Ken didn’t hear his heavy footsteps, or the cracking of his fingers. It was too quiet for Yamori. He looked up through the long bangs of his changed hair to see someone he did not expect to see. She stood with cautious eyes. And when he looked at her, her shoulders relaxed as if she was relieved to see him.

_Aya._

He was dreaming again. _It was a beautiful dream._ But why did she look so guilty? He wanted to see her smiling – it always made him feel worthy when he was a child. He felt important to someone. _Why was she standing so far away?_ He wanted to reach out to her, but the chains on his wrists and ankles were preventing him from moving.

“How are you still alive?”

 _This is not a dream._ There was too much blood on the floor for it to be a dream and there was a centipede crawling through his mind. She looked so real in such an eerie room. She looked different as well – above the ripped black jeans and black hoodie she always wore, there was the red cloak of Aogiri and in her hand, she held a black medical mask. _What is she prepared for?_ Ken wondered as he watched her standing still as a statue. He thought she would never come back – that she had forgot about him. He remembers the coldness of her eyes when she chose not to free him.

“No one made it this long.” She commented – her voice appearing as a murmur.

Her eyes wondered all over him. His pants were ripped to his knees and the sleeves of his shirt were teared short as well. His fingers and toes were regenerating at very incredibly fast pace. And from countless of times his limbs were clipped off, the nails begun to grow black. His body was experiencing shock and it was responding to it – he became thin, leaving him only with skin and muscles which were tense each time Yamori ripped his small limbs off. And his hair – that once black hair had completely turned white. 

“Are you a dream?” He wondered quietly.

“No.” She answered.

One part of Aya wished for him to be dead – that way, she would stop worrying about him and imagining the way he was being tortured. But the other part of Aya, the one that held more emotion, was glad that he was still alive – despite the fact he was tortured. It made her realize that he was no longer that vulnerable human boy who kept escaping reality by reading books. In his own way, he was coping through the torture, keeping himself sane by dreaming of whatever made him human. At least she believed that was the case.

“Did you come to save me?”

The question itself crushed her heart. “No.” The answer left a painful scar in his chest.

“Then why are you here?”

 _Why am I here?_ Aya, herself, wondered. She couldn’t sleep – that was one reason. She couldn’t get him out of her head no matter how hard she tried – that was another reason. She didn’t want him to die – and another reason. _Why do I care whatever he lives or dies?_ She was tormented by that question. There was something human inside of her – something weak – that made worry about such insignificant boy. _Eto will have my head._

“I guess… I just wanted to see you.” _What a stupid answer…_ “I didn’t think you would make it this far.” She said. “There must be something keeping you alive. What is it? A promise you made? Friends?” She was curious – she was curious to know how a human brain works – even though Ken was now only half of a human.

 _A promise I made? Friends?_ Faces of everyone he knew begun to appear in his mind. _Hide._ A human that befriended him after Aya – he has been by his side ever since, though thick and thin. But the change he went through, he never told him about because he was afraid he will be hated by him. _Touka._ A ghoul that works in Anteiku. A girl that has been trying to help him cope with his ghoul’s nature – even though she was a bit cold towards him, she was helpful in her own way. _Yoshimura._ The owner of Anteiku that has been helpful the most – he gave him a place in Anteiku where he didn’t have to pretend. Anteiku was his hope. There was also _Yomo, Nishiki, Hinami, Koma, Kaya…_ There were people in Anteiku that needed him – for all they have done for him, he couldn’t just die. _I have to protect them._

“They need me.” He murmured – his head falling down in shame. “Rather than a person who hurts others, become the person getting hurt. What a stupid why to live by.” Aya listened closely to what he had to say, murmuring to him own self. “I can’t allow Aogiri to hurt my friends. I can’t allow them to get hurt because of me. I can’t be weak… weak get devoured.”

His mental state as shaking – his voice was weak, but sure of every word he had spoken. He was shaking. All the pain and all the torment he had been experiencing the past couple of days made him re-think all he knows and recognize the flaws in the way he saw the world – so naively. Constantly, because he was weak, clinging to his human side, everyone else around him got hurt. _Hide, Touka, Hinami…_ And just recently, because he did not choose, and did not react as he should have, two more lives were lost because he was weak.

“That’s why Shuu and Haru got killed by Yamori. Because I was weak.” Ken continue to talk. “I am a Ghoul. And I need power.” He looked at her – and there was something different in his eyes; something sinister.

 _You are not the boy I remember._ Aya could not deny the cold shiver that rushed up her neck. _Yamori did get to you._ And she felt pity for the boy she once knew. His innocence was crushed. Those grey eyes contained nothing – he became emotionless.

“You’re right. Weak have no place on this world.” Aya stepped closer – and he watched her as she crouched down in front of him – just like the last time. “If you want to achieve something, you have to get your knuckles bloody.”

Ken’s eyes wide as he saw something peak behind her. Red tentacle with sharp white end – it was her kagune. It reached towards him – and he was terrified. _This is a nightmare?_ Ken thought. And she chuckled to the perplexed expression on his face. Swiftly, the kagune moved away from his face and underneath him – he heard it cutting into the chain that held the chains on his feet and arms – making a damage which will with enough force break the chains. _She came to save me?_ He felt warmth inside his chest – relief as well. But there was also confusion.

“The doves will be here in an hour.” Her kagune retracted back underneath the cut of her cloak and she rose back onto her feet. “You make your escape when you can.”

And nonchalantly, she turned on her heels and walked away. She was hiding the fact that she actually cared – Ken believed she was correcting the choice she had made the last time – he couldn’t see any other reason why she would allow him to get free. She carried a cloak of mystery – revealing a little but not too much to make a certain conclusion. And Ken wanted to know more – he wanted to know what kind of ghoul she is.

“Why are you helping me?” She came to a halt upon hearing his question – and she looked over her shoulder.

“Because I want to.” And with mystery she responded, giving him just a little grin to make him wonder even more.

 _She hasn’t change._ Ken looked at her and he saw the little girl who would sit next to him and listen as he talks about his favorite books or his life. She didn’t even have to say anything for him to know she was listening to every word he had to say. And feeling important, Ken was so selfish – he never tried to find out about her family or friends. He never asked her why her mother always looked so exhausted, or why she always sat on the bench above the park and watched them – why she seemed paranoid at times. The 20th Ward was the peaceful part of Tokyo, yet her mother never seemed at ease. And even when Ken asked her something personal, something about her family, or why they could be together only an hour a day, Aya would just brush it off gently and give him a question. _What is that you always hide?_

“Yamori will be coming soon.” Aya announced, readily turning around to leave, but paused once again as something came to her mind. “Oh, just so you know, your dear friends you think you need to protect are coming here to save you.” Her hand grasped onto the door knob. “I thought you wanted to know.”

And silently, she left Ken with his own thoughts once again and “Rize.”

▪

As silently as she came to Yamori’s room, that’s how she left. They were waiting for her – she tried her best not to waste too much time in Yamori’s hobby room. The CCG was arriving, over one thousand CCG members were coming to eradicate Aogiri Tree in the hideout in 11th Ward. It was all going according to the plan. All Aogiri had to do was to let the CCG push through their defenses and get inside the building – plan B will do the rest.

On top of the main building, Tatara, Eto, Noro, Bin Brother, Ayato and Nico watched as the CCG buses and other vehicles rolled in before the building. The Aogiri Tree was outnumbered – especially since not all the members of Aogiri were participating in this attack. Aya had placed the back medical mask over her mouth and nose, and pushed the Aogiri cloak over her medium long hair – she knew she should invest more into her appearance as a ghoul – but she just simply didn’t feel like living up to her ghoul name; her kagune and her reputation did that for her.

Walking pass Ayato and Nico, Aya came to a stop besides Tatara. Her eyes wondered over all the CCG vehicles that kept arriving – and her eyes managed to see almost every face of the CCG members that came to lose their lives. But only one face caught her interest the most: Ryuu Tsukino -- First Class Investigator, once a Rank 1 Investigator. Aya remembers him when she was just a teenager. She was searching for valuable ghouls that could join the ranks of Aogiri Tree and thoughtlessly, she fell into a CCG trap. Ryuu Tsukino was the only one who survived her – with heavy injuries. _This will be interesting…_

“You’re late.” Tatara told her in displease.

“I went to check the charges.” Aya gave him a smart answer – which was only half the truth; but he didn’t have to know that. “There can be no mistakes.”

For a brief moment, Aya saw suspicion in Tatara’s eyes, but there was also contentment. However, the little approval Tatara had for her was a short one – he didn’t want her to think she was special. He grunted a little, looking away from her and towards the buses that carried many CCG members.

“They got here a bit sooner than expect, haven’t they, Aya?” Eto questioned.

“Yeah. But we are ready.” She answered with certainty.

“You make sure to lead them as further as you can into the center, Aya.” She nodded to Tatara’s order. “Bin Brothers, you’re in the main building.”

“Right.” The two brothers nodded.

“Kirishima, take the annex.”

“You got it.”

“Let’s get going, Eto.” Tatara said and Eto obliged. “You can take it from here, Noro.”

Aya watched as Tatara left with Eto following closely behind him – _of course we are doing all the fighting and killing._ It unnerved Aya just a little knowing that Tatara, as well as Eto, saw all of them as pawns that could be moved into their desirable position. Even though they held a high rank within the Aogiri as Executives, they were as used as those of lower rank.

“Where’s Yamori?” Aya stopped glaring at the back of Tatara’s head and she averted her attention towards Ayato – who was a bit irritated with Yamori’s absence.

Nico shrugged with his shoulders. “Beats me. Probably in his little playroom.”

Nico turned on his heels and walked away, leaving Ayato, Aya and Noro alone – Bin Brother had already made their way towards the main building. Aya was not particularly fond of Nico – he was not even helpful to Aogiri. All he did was follow Yamori around and now that Yamori had different interests, he was not helpful at all.

“Now of all times. That’s just perfect.” Ayato commented and looked towards Aya as she approached him. “That one-eyed bastard is still alive?” He questioned with bitterness in his tone.

“Yep.” Ayato’s eyebrows rose in surprise, but he said nothing. “See you later.”

Ayato watched her as she begun to leave – something was telling him that Aya was not just checking charges when she was being late. And he wouldn’t be surprise to find out she visited that one-eyed ghoul – he did notice how she kept thinking, barely noticing when he was saying something and she barely got some good sleep. _Idiot, worrying for that spineless bastard._


	6. ➖ New Surge

**DECEMBER 20TH. THE CCG MANAGED TO PUSH THROUGH THE FIRST LINE OF AOGIRI'S DEFENSE AND ELIMINATED THE REST OF GHOULS THROUGH BUILDING 1 AND 2.** Tatara and Eto watched from the distance as the large group of Ghoul Investigators pushed through all the ghouls that attempted to stop them. Ayato Kirishima defended the building 5, Bin Brothers were having trouble with one Ghoul Investigator: First Class Koutarou Amon. All the squads moved as planned – eliminating ghouls almost with too much ease.

Aya was crouching on the edge of the roof of building 7, watching as doves rushed through. But that was not all Aya saw. She saw ghouls of 20th Ward that were dressed in Aogiri attire just to blend in with the crowd. Aya was not an idiot – she had a good sight and she used it in the best way possible. She knew every member of Aogiri Tree and she knew they would not be running to avoid trouble – every member of Aogiri Tree was true to its cause and they fought doves; they did not run away from them. Touka Kirishima, Nishiki Nishio, Shuu Tsukiyama, Uta and Renji Yomo. She recognized all of them and was quite astonished by the number of people that came to 11th Ward just to save one person: Ken Kaneki. But they wouldn't get far as Noro blocked their way and Touka and Nishio took a different route.

Putting her wrist forwards, Aya looked at the watch to see the small hand coming close to 1:30 A.M. Sighing, Aya fixed the hood of her Aogiri cloak by pushing it further down over her eyes. She had tricked a few of Ghoul Investigators in taking different routes in order to get them as far in as possible. The more lost they were; the more doves will fall when the times comes.

"Time to get to work."

Aya pushed herself on her straight feet and unconsciously, her eyes averted towards the detached tower behind building 5. She was not good when it came to hearing, but she could feel vibrations from the tower. Her eyes could not reach inside the building – but she knew that there was a battle taking place within it. _Don't make me regret helping you._

Breathing in, Aya looked at the squad of doves storming onto the open path between building 7 and 3. They cut down the ghouls that came into their way. Each ghoul showed resilience – one fell harder than the other. Out of five members of Ghoul Investigators, two were killed. Killing the low ranking ghouls of Aogiri put the doves at ease, but not for long.

Jumping from high, her presence was unexpected, and the death of one of their partner devastated them. The ghoul dressed in Aogiri's attire broke the neck of the dove with the strength of their legs. They were shocked and did not react quickly – nine tails of her bikaku kagune emerged from underneath the cloak and two pierced the reminding doves. Swiftly and mercilessly. Blood oozed them from their open wounds and Aya towered over them – her kagune exposed.

With devastated expression, Ryuu Tsukino watched. And in silence, the four members of his squad watched as well. The red bikaku kagune, red and white ends, stood up around the ghoul – and Ryuu immediately recognized to whom that kagune belonged to. He remembers kagune from a few years ago when the ghoul with that same kagune killed his mentor and his friends – only he survived with grievous injuries. Ryuu had another chance at life and he took that as an opportunity to strengthen himself and be ready when he faces _Kitsune_ once again.

"Ryuu Tsukino."

Shiver ran down First Class Investigator's spine as he heard his name being coldly spoken through the black medical mask which the ghoul wore to hide her facial appearance. The ghoul looked over her shoulder, her ghoul eyes focusing only on the Ghoul Investigator.

"It has been such a long time."

Ryuu's green eyes glared at the female ghoul – clenching the hilt of his quinque that resembled a katana. "Die, you bitch."

"I'll pass."

With determination in his body, Ryuu rushed towards Kitsune. He yelled and used all of his strength, all of his rage to attack the ghoul. Her kagune retraced and with ease, Kitsune evaded all Ryuu's quick and precise slashes. If she was slower by a millisecond, she would have experienced death by thousands of cuts. The two members of Ryuu's squad went forwards, joining their mentor. And Kitsune took that as a cue to stop fooling around and attack back.

Using a tail or two of her kagune, Kitsune blocked the attack of their quinque and she used her body to push Ryuu and his two squad members to the ground. For that one small moment, when she felt overly confident of how she blocked their attacks and pushed them away, she left her guard fall down. Stinging pain appeared in her right shoulder, and that pain numbed her right arm and shoulder – that numbness slowly, but surely traveled from her shoulder to her neck – aiming for her brain and heart.

Kitsune looked at the Ghoul Investigator that shot her with quinque arrow – it was Yui Chida, Rank 2 Ghoul Investigator that used an impressive bow quinque which could also be readjusted into a sword.

"That's not nice."

Before anyone could comprehend Kitsune's next move, she moved quickly and the arrow that was once in her shoulder, it cut through air and found a new target. Ryuu's eyes wide with shock as blood of his pink haired squad member splashed through the air. Yui fell onto her knees and her body fell to the ground – a hole of arrow resting in the middle of her forehead. Her dark brown eyes lost the light that they once held.

"Now that is quite an impressive arrow." Kitsune commented – feeling no sympathy for the investigator she just killed. "I still can't feel my arm." She pitched her right arm, barely feeling that sensation as her arm still felt numb – and the wound was barely healing.

"You monster!"

Daiki Gotoda, good friend of Yui, ran at Kitsune with anger in his cry. And it was a stupid move which was triggered by his emotion. Ryuu called out his name, trying to stop him – but it was too late. Kitsune's kagune pierced his abdomen effortlessly, instantly killing him. She rose his body up in the air with her kagune before carelessly tossing his dying body aside.

"You should have taught him what happens when you let your emotions get in the way." Kitsune commented – her ghoul eyes averting towards horrified Ryuu and the other two squad member: Jurou Hamuro and Akio Ishizu. "That was almost you a few years ago."

It was hard to contain the grief he was feeling, his heart was breaking again by the same ghoul that once took his mentor and his friends. He through he will be able to defeat her this time, he trained himself and his squad to defeat the strongest of ghouls – he trained them to fight almost like Arima Kishou, the White Reaper of CCG. And the two deaths of his squad broke him – but he was not going to give up. He picked up his sword and got onto his feet. There was no giving up until he avenged all those dear to him that Kitsune had killed.

"You will pay for what you've done."

"You should back down. Or you'll lose more."

Kitsune understood his grief – she understood why he was angry at her and why he will do complete opposite of what she recommended for him to do. She was a ghoul, but still, she had sanity within her. Killing doves – people that would not even think twice before they kill her – did not make her feel guilty. But seeing how devastated Ryuu was, she knew that this day will haunt him for the rest of his days. And she knew that he would not listen to her.

"Oh, well..."

Ryuu attacked, his katana glowing red – the blade becoming hot so it could cut through her like a knife through butter. Jurou and Akio joined in, fueled by the same anger as Ryuu – except Ryuu's anger was burning his entire being. They took turns – Jurou and Akio distracted Kitsune only for Ryuu to attack her. And she utilized her kagune in order to block the attacks she could not evade with her body. Ryuu noted that she was less sloppy then the last time – last time her attacks and dodging was slow; her kagune was present each time when her body moved.

But years have gone by – the last time he had seen her she was a teenager; at least he assumed so. Now the ghoul had grown, and she was stronger and agile. Jurou attacked by jumping high in the air without letting out a sound. He went slashing towards the ghoul, believing she was not aware of him coming at her while she was being distracted by Ryuu and Akio. But Kitsune was much more aware of surroundings that he thought – she was burned once by them and she would not allow herself to be burned twice.

Swinging with the long tails of her kagune, a hard hit came to Jurou's side – he heard cracking as the tail collided with his ribs. Groaning, he fell to the ground a few feet away from the battle.

"Jurou!?" Akio called out.

Jurou went to get up, but sharp pain went through his torso – his side was burning. That cracking her heard was the cracking of his ribs. Jurou groaned and fell back to the ground, holding his side and feeling the change in his ribs' structure – there was definitely something broken.

"Ah! My ribs!"

"Akio! Go to him! Get him to the medic!"

"But –"

"No "but"!" Ryuu snapped. "I'll take care of her."

Visually, Akio wanted to protest, but in the eyes of his mentor he saw certainty. Ryuu gave him a nod, assuring him that he will be able to take care of this ghoul and Akio believed it would be easier for Ryuu to fight Kitsune alone. That way, he wouldn't have to worry about the lives of his squad members. Akio crudely nodded and rushed to Jurou's side. He helped him up onto his feet which involved a lot of sharp cries and pain. Ryuu kept his eyes on Kitsune – but she didn't watch him, instead she watched Akio as he took Jurou's arm over his shoulder and dragged him away. With each step Jurou made, he tried his best to suppress the cry from the sharp pain in his side.

Tickling sensation awoke in her shoulder and she finally felt her fingers moving – she was finally regenerating from the wound the arrow of late Yui Chida made. _At least I'm healing..._ Her eyes briefly glanced at Yui's body, lying lifelessly on the ground with blood oozing from her brain. _Can't say the same for you though..._

"Now, it's only me and you, Kitsune." Ryuu glared with poison staining his tongue.

He could not see it, but a grin came to adorn her lips when she looked at him. "For better or for worst." Her body language told him she was relaxed – fearless for the fight that will follow.

Ryuu gripped the hilt and was ready to attack – but sudden rumbling halted his intentions. Little gasp came to Aya's lips and she looked up the building 3. Something came crushing on top of it. Her eyes could not reach whatever it was – but she saw the glimpse of it. _One-Eyed Owl..._ Aya's eyebrows narrowed in distress. _That's not Eto..._ There were two Owls – and Aya knew both of the Owls. _Are you stalling?_ Aya wondered – trying to figure out why _that_ Owl was becoming involved in their cause. But then it dawned out on her: _Ken Kaneki._

_Did he kill Yamori? Did he save himself?_

Kitsune averted her attention towards building 5 and she saw something she didn't expect to see: _Ken fighting Ayato. Why the hell are they fighting?!_ Aya didn't understand what was the reason behind their fight. Ayato kept shooting crystallized bullet from his ukaku kagune at Ken – and now the white haired half-ghoul, half-human evaded them with abnormal ability. And suddenly, he was in front of Ayato – kicking him with his knee into the stomach.

"Aah!"

Ryuu attacked, exposing his intention with a sound. And Kitsune utilized her kagune to block the katana – it's blade was burning, cutting slowly but surely through the thick tail of her kagune.

"You're too loud."

And quickly, Kitsune pulled the quinque out of his hold before she spun on her toes and hit Ryuu in the chest – sending him falling through the air until his back hit the wall. Throwing the quinque aside, Kitsune's kagune disappeared into her lower back and she looked at the watch on her waist. The time was ticking away. _It's time..._

She looked towards building 5 to see Noro grabbing onto the Ayato and going away with him, not giving any attention to Ayato's protesting. Ken let them leave and went to Nishio crouching next to unconscious Touka. _Let me guess, Ayato gave her a beating..._ Aya wouldn't be surprise if that was the case; all Ayato did was look down on his sister because she was trying to live a human life. Ken took Touka onto his back and with Nishio, they begun to leave.

Aya could feel vibrations underneath her feet and she knew that was her cue to leave. She looked at Ryuu. He struggled, ignoring the pulsing pain through his body as he got back onto his feet. Foolishly thinking he was capable of fighting her again. _Humans..._

"See you around."

Turning on her heels, Aya rushed away – Ryuu called out of her, calling her a coward for running away; not realizing that the vibrations were becoming stronger and stronger underneath his feet. Aya was quick, she rushed and went towards the forest that surrounded three side of their hideout, while the other was occupied by the sea. But she made a quick stop by the building which was used only by Yamori. And what she saw, brought a smile to her face.

A boy in his young adulthood dragged a body of a bulky man – Yamori. The boy stopped and looked in the direction of the figure that stood by and watched. Juuzou Suzuya looked at the female ghoul – her face covered with the front of the hood and black medical mask. He thought she'll attack, but instead, as if out of joke, she gave him thumbs up. And with that confusing interaction, the ghoul disappeared, leaving Juuzou to wonder – completely forgetting about the crumbing walls around him. He shrugged and he continued to drag the lifeless body of once famous Jason.

The buildings begun to shake and the walls begun to crack. Aogiri members begun to retreat – just as planned. The doves retraced their footsteps as quickly as they could, but not many were successful. Aya successfully managed to find her way through the buildings and joined the rest of Aogiri.

Aya, Ayato and Noro watched from the far. Explosives from underneath the ground completely went off, sending earthquake into the structures. The buildings begun to collapse, one by one, doves run for their life – some successfully, some less successfully. Aya's eyes wondered into another direction – she saw Tatara and Eto standing on top of the towering building in the distance, overseeing the destruction of their hideout. Their plan worked – that mattered. But it brought casualties to both sides.

Ayato spit out blood out of the sudden, and Aya looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Someone got a beating?" There were blood stains on his dark clothes – and the wounds he had received had already healed.

"That bastard." Aya hissed under his breath – moving his body and grunting in pain as his bones cracked to their rightful place. "He broke my bones." Aya was vaguely impressed – _did Yamori give him ideas how to torture others?_

"You'll heal." Aya murmured. "Come on, we need to get to rendezvous point."

▪

Aya paced in a slow pace, left and right, waiting for only one person to join them. And that was Eto – the petite ghoul that was usually always by Tatara's side. Aya wondered about her, but Tatara gave her no solid answer of her whereabouts. Ayato and Noro waiting for them – and Ayato was too becoming impatient with waiting which was no surprise given the fact he had a short-temper. However, they couldn't move until everyone has gathered.

The half of Aogiri members were with them, while the other half was already at the new hideout which will be their base. In the battle against CCG, they lost Bin Brothers, Yamori and roughly 200 Aogiri members. Aya felt indifferent for the deaths of Bin Brothers – she remembers watching them and observing their skill before Tatara decided to recruit them. There was respect between the three of them, but they never really had a conversation, therefore, Aya only felt disappointed that such valuable ghouls died, but she wasn't particularly grieving them.

As for Yamori, she couldn't feel more satisfied to know he's dead. She never liked Yamori or his methods of torture – there were many times when she just wanted to rip his head off, but for the sake of Aogiri's cause and other factors, she had to restrain herself. _At least the clown won't be showing up anymore._ Aya was truly benefiting with Yamori's death. There would be no more Nico since Yamori's dead – the only reason why he would come to them is if Tatara sends someone to fetch him; but that was quite unlikely.

Little humming reached Aya's ears and she looked in the direction of the hallway that belonged to an abandoned building in 11th Ward. Eto skipped cheerfully towards them, her little cloak dancing around her bandaged body, the downy hears flopping up and down as she skipped.

"Where have you been?" Aya wondered with her arms finally relaxing and falling to her side.

Eto however didn't answer. Instead, as she came to stop in front of Aya, she smiled underneath the bandages. And to answer her question, she turned and pointed towards the hallway from which she arrived from. Aya's followed the direction towards which she pointed at, and for a brief moment, breath caught in her throat.

From the shadows he emerged. His hair snow white and his grey eyes with void of any joy. His clothes the same which he wore while being tortured by Yamori and in his hand, he carried a mask – the Eyepatch mask. Ken Kaneki walked towards him – bare footed and ignoring every little stone or glass on which he stepped on. He looked like a moving statue – walking, but not living. And Aya wondered – _why is he here?_

"Meet new Executive." She heard Eto say with a giggle in the end.

Aya looked at her but she had already made her way pass her – following after Tatara just like she always did. Ayato scoffed – irritated by the presence and new role Ken Kaneki will play in their ranks. He turned and walked away with his hands in his pocket and his head lowered – hiding the emotion of discontent which played on his face. Noro stayed. He stood by Aya and with tilted head and curiosity hidden underneath his mask – he watched emotions unfold on Aya's face.

Disbelief, happiness, confusion, concern. Those blue eyes of hers were true windows of her soul when she allowed them to be. They were not moving – only watching the figure that approached them. She wanted to say something as Ken approached closer, her pale pink lips moved but the voice she had was lost somewhere in her throat – questioned by her mind. She wanted his eyes to look at her – but they never did.

Breath of disbelief left her throat as Ken – the boy she remembers from her childhood – walked pass her as if she was a ghost. Something shattered within her – something fragile. Her body turned and she watched with hurt – but that emotion was quickly dismissed from her eyes and replaced with a glare. Noro's hand found its way onto her shoulder and she looked at him – her eyes softening, but little rage danced within them.

"I'm fine." She sharply answered. "Let's go."

The hand on her shoulder fell and Noro watched the girl follow others into the rising sun. And without any particular noise, Noro followed after Aya.


	7. ➖ Little Secret

**STANDING BY THE WINDOW OF THE ABANDONED BUILDING IN 9 TH WARD, AYA’S EYES WERE FOCUSED ON PIECE OF PAPER IN FRONT OF HER. **The pencil was wearing off as she kept drawing a design after a design – creating different types of outfits. If she wanted Aogiri Tree taken seriously, they had to have a dress code – or at least one that would set them apart from other groups of ghouls. And while her eyes were on the notebook, her ears were focused on the voice of Tatara. He spoke before the highest members of Aogiri: herself, Noro, Eto, Ayato _and_ Ken.

Tatara was putting forth their next plans: overtake 9th Ward, overtake 10th Ward, and while Ghoul Investigators focus their attention to the west wards, they attack Cochlea. Aogiri Tree had lost a lot of power, as well as did the doves, and they needed more ghouls to join the cause. Cochlea was their best bet to gain as many ghouls as possible to increase their power. But first, they had to avert doves’ attention to the west while they slowly slip by them to Cochlea.

“You may leave.” Tatara subtly ended the meeting.

Ken turned on his heels and left immediately. Ayato, however, looked at Aya – whose attention was completely on the notebook. He thought she didn’t hear Tatara dismissing them. Aya noticed Ayato lingering in the corner of her eye and she looked at him – giving him a little wave as to tell him that he may leave. Holding whatever he wanted to say in his throat, Ayato turned on his heels and left the room. And with the absence of his footsteps, there came strange silence.

Noro was quiet as he usually always was. Eto sat on the table in the corner of the room, her legs dangling over the edge. Tatara sat on the couch by the wall as if he sat on the throne with his sight on the entire room. Aya sat opposite from Eto, on Tatara’s right side. She had her knees bent and notebook resting on it where various designs were drawn by her hand. Briefly, she glanced outside of the window – she could see humans in the other wards, walking on daylight and avoiding any dark corners of Tokyo. They were all in fear from what has been happening with Aogiri Tree – yet CCG dared to tell them that they have nothing to be afraid of. That they will put an end to Aogiri. _And humans believe that crap?_

Aya finally decided to put an end to the silence which waiting for her to do so. “Why is he here?”

Tatara leaned in the worn out couch – his red eyes adjusting on her. “Be more specific, Aya.”

She averted her eyes from the view outside the window towards Tatara who patiently waited for her to readjust her question. Strangely, Tatara seemed quite more relaxed that he usually was. Therefore, Aya wanted to use her questions in the best way she can and get as many answer as Tatara can willingly give her.

“Why is Kaneki part of Aogiri?” She questioned again – being more specific.

“Because he wants to be.” Tatara simply answered. “You were right. He has potential.”

Aya was visibly taken aback by his first sentence: _“you were right”._ It made her feel like Tatara was finally approving of her, and not criticizing, disapproving her with his eyes or threatening to break her. It felt as he patted her shoulder with that answer. But there was something that just didn’t feel right – he was almost too direct to give her such answer.

“There’s more to it, isn’t it?” And instinctually, her eyes averted towards Eto who curiously, like a child, watched their conversation. “He’s One-Eyed Ghoul, made from Rize, you want to test him.”

Eto let out a giggle. “My, my, Aya. You are a sharp one.” She laughed. “You really care for him.”

“I want to know what you’re planning.” Aya sharply defended herself. “I’ve been part of this since its beginning, I deserve to know.”

“You still have much to learn, Aya.” Tatara replied, with sharpness in his tone. “Go. Get him ready for our next move. And do get yourself new clothes – you’re not a child.”

Aya looked down at her clothes. She wore ripped black skinny jeans – some holes were original; others were made by time. She wore a black hoodie that was ripped here and there, and she wore black combat boots. She dressed simply, but she dressed as if someone tossed her on the road and left her there like a homeless person. Aya didn’t really care how she looked – she only cared about getting the job done.

With a huff, Aya pushed herself off the window frame and speechlessly left the room. _Yet they treat me like a child._ Aya breathed in and out, trying to keep herself cool, while actually, inside she was continuously commenting their approach towards her. There was something that they were hiding from her and Aya wanted to know – but _patience._ She needed a lot of it.

Navigating her way through the almost empty hallways of the abandoned building, Aya kept walking until she came to the room which Ken chose as his own private quarters. The building was big and abandoned enough for almost every member of Aogiri to take at least one room. Aya came to the frame of the doorway – which was missing doors – and she looked at the white haired male sitting by the table and brewing himself a coffee. Aya wondered where in the hell he managed to acquire a coffee brewer.

“What some coffee?”

She was not surprise he acknowledged her presence – she was not exactly trying to hide herself. His voice towards her sound detached – distant as if they never knew each out. And in a way, they actually didn’t know each other. Not fully. He never knew she was a Ghoul and now he was a half-human, half-ghoul. Too much happened and too many years passed for them to attain some kind of familiarity with each other.

“I just came to take your measures.”

He finally looked at her. Ken’s eyebrows rose in wonder – actually showing an emotion on his face. Aya walked to the table and threw a notebook – various designs of bodysuit were drawn on two pages. Ken took the notebook and examined them – there were so much ideas.

“I didn’t know you could draw.” Ken commented – seemingly impressed.

From the pocket of the hoodie, Aya took out a measuring tape for body. “Choose one. If you want to be part of Aogiri, you’ve got to dress the part.”

Ken listed the page, looking at another set of designs, except they were made for a female body. Aya listed the page back – silently telling him that he was not looking at the right designs; or maybe she just didn’t like people looking thought her notebook if she didn’t allow them. Ken murmured a small “sorry” and examined the designs she had drawn – most of them were the same, only the details were different. Ken went for one, the last one that she drawn on the page. A bodysuit which was covered by short sleeved jacket and short pants. He thought it might look good with his mask.

With Aya’s instructions, he got up. She took his measures and wrote them down on the last pages of the notebook – where ever other measures were listed. He saw Ayato’s name, her name, Noro’s name and the last name was his.

“You sew?” Ken broke the silence – trying to push away the awkward feeling within him as Aya took measures of his waist, and then his hips – _she’s too close._

“No.” She did not share Ken’s inner awkwardness. “I only draw designs and take measures. There are other people that do the sewing.”

Ken noted how quiet she was – he thought she would start a conversation with him, but it seemed as if she just wanted to take his measures and leave. _She’s angry with me._ Ken remembers seeing disbelief in her eyes when he joined Aogiri and he felt her glare when he simply ignored her and walked pass her. It was not right of him to behave like that towards someone who helped him break free. After all, it was her who damaged the chains to assure he escapes.

“Thank you.”

Aya looked at him – averting her attention away from the measure she wrote down and towards him. She was a bit confused – trying to think from where his gratitude was coming from.

“For what?” She wondered.

“For helping me.”

It crossed her mind that she did indeed help him, but the outcome of his decision definitely didn’t seem as if she was of much help. She had imagined that once he escapes he will go back to Anteiku, back to his friends he cares for dearly. But he made a completely different choice which Aya did not see coming.

“I helped you so you could return to your friends. Not join this cause.”

As if in shame, Ken lowered his head. “With Aogiri, I can gain more power.”

There was an amused scoff from Aya. “If that is why you joined Aogiri, then you will die.” Aya was straightforward, she did not mean to sweeten her words – she actually wanted him to change his mind and go back to Anteiku. “You want to protect your friends?”

 _“I can’t allow Aogiri to hurt my friends.” –_ Aya remembers those words that he spoke to her when he was still chained in Yamori’s hobby room – slowly losing his mind, yet not completely losing it. Aya was a clever one – she has been observing humans for far too long to understand their motivations and their emotions. Therefore, Aya knew that Ken did join Aogiri for power, but he also joined for something else – for knowledge.

“That’s why you joined.” Aya spoke before Ken could find words to answer her. “You can’t protect your friends if you don’t know Aogiri’s goals.” Ken felt her stripping down thin layers of his goals as with each step she took towards him, he felt as if he could choke on his own breath. “And you know that one day Aogiri will be a threat to them and to humans, and the only way for you to prevent that from happening, is by destroying Aogiri from its root.” Ken was speechless as Aya worked out her theory. “Destroy the One-Eyed King.” She looked impressed with her own self. “How close am I?”

And Ken clenched his hands into fists – her eyes were shining with confidence. _Damn, she smart._ Ken through within his head – he did not expect it. _Now I know why she’s the eyes and mind of Aogiri._ Aya had a wild imagination – her brain sometimes worked overtime until she found all the possible solutions to a problem. It was a survival instinct – always be one step ahead. And Ken was a challenging problem, but she solved it. Or at least she thinks she did.

Ken swallowed the anxiousness he was feeling and Aya noticed how his body wanted to get as far as it could away from her. “Don’t worry.” Aya said with a reassuring tone. “This will be our little secret.” Her tone got quiet. “But if you try and threaten Aogiri’s goals, I will know. And I will kill you.” She placed her hand onto his shoulder as a promise. “Take care.” She patted his shoulder gently with a smile curving her lips.

Aya took her notebook and turned on her heels, leaving. And as she disappeared from his sight, he had to let out a large amount of breath that he was holding inside of him. He felt stressed out – he did not know whatever _this_ Aya could be trusted. She was no longer a child that used to keep him company. _Who knows what she’s been through?_ He felt selfless for not asking. She already knew so much about him and he knew nothing about her. If he wanted to prove himself to Aogiri, he had to prove them that he can be more powerful, but with the theory Aya had about him – that could be an impossible task. Eto gave him a rank of Executive without much of a thought and Ayato questioned it, as well as Aya.

◾

They were night away from attacking 9th Ward and 10th Ward – their aims were the branch offices of CCG in those wards. Everyone was preparing for the next sun down when they will storm CCG in those Wards and seize over the power. Ken was not prepared, but he did not let anyone notice it – as if anyone could since he kept himself in the room he took as his own private place. And he begun to feel like he was suffocating by being surrounded by four walls.

He navigated through the hallways he didn’t know much about, but all he did was go up. The members of Aogiri Tree were having conversations, typical ghoul conversations about humans or topics involving Aogiri’s next move. It was nothing Ken haven’t heard about. The ghouls were quiet – keeping a low profile that they were actually taking residence in the abounded building in 9th Ward, it was close to 11th Ward. It was easy to keep low profile when the doves were still focus on recovering from the defeat in 11th Ward.

Climbing up the finally steps, Ken found himself outside the cold December air. He breathed in, the anxiety finally leaving his body. It was cold, but it didn’t really bother him since he needed to leave the four walls that have been surrounding him for a few days already. The clothing – the black sweater and trousers – were given to him by another ghoul of Aogiri – to replace the clothes which was covering in blood and were damaged. They were one size larger, but at least they kept him warm in the month of coldness.

“Yo.”

He always got himself startled. He looked to his left with his eyes wide open – expressing shock that slowly faded away. Aya stood by the railing, chuckling at his startled expression.

“Didn’t mean to scare you.” She confessed, averting her eyes back onto city that was stretched out before her. “It’s pretty up here.”

Ken approached – he came to stand next to her and looked at the same view as she did. The city lights enlighten every corner of Tokyo – but still those lights found a way to keep some allies in the dark. It was Christmas time. And even through it was night, there were still humans occupying the streets that were always filled with people – staying in the crowd at night was the best way to escape a predator that lurks in the darkest corners of the streets. There were more lights than usual – despite what was happening with Aogiri, people still managed to live up to Christmas spirit.

“It is pretty.” Ken commented – his voice appeared like a murmur and with a tone of disinterest.

It seemed like a perfect opportunity. For eight long years, he had been wondering about her. Why she suddenly disappeared? What happened to her during this long period? He wanted her to open like a book and let him read every chapter, every page, sink in every word. Maybe, deep within him, he will finally admit that part of the reason why he joined Aogiri was to be with her, to once again meet the girl who used to laugh with him and listen to him when no one else did. He hoped that as he gets to know her more, he’ll see that she was still that girl – but he doubted that extremely.

“Why did you join Aogiri?”

First question left his lips and he saw her look at him in the corner of his eye. He was not surprised she was skeptical about answering him. After her theory, not even he would trust himself. It was foolish of him to think she would even answer him or lead a normal conversation.

“I didn’t really have a choice.” She answered, passively surprising him. “That night, the last time we saw each other, doves hunted down me and my mother. They killed her while I escaped. That’s how I bumped into Eto and Tatara. That’s how I joined Aogiri.”

 _Of course, it is tragic._ No ghoul has a perfect past – maybe some did, but most were just broken by what has been done to them. They had every right to be angry for every family member or friend they have lost; just as Ghoul Investigators had every right to be angry. It was a circle that couldn’t be escaped without consequences.

“And now you want revenge?”

She was silent for a moment. “I should want that. But I don’t.” Her eyes watched the light twinkle in the distance. “Taking revenge won’t bring my mother back, so why even chase the one that killed her.”

 _She’s not a hateful person._ Ken noted. She was kind, that’s what he presumed. And she was strong. _Maybe that Aya is not lost._ She watched the view with a little smile curved in the corners of her lips. She looked at him and he looked away – feeling guilty for staring at her. There was a gentle chuckle that left her closed lips. She gripped onto the railing and leaned back, holding herself from falling onto her behind.

“How about you?” She wondered. “What did you do since the last time we saw each other?” She asked. “Besides becoming a half-ghoul.” She added humorously, drawing a small chuckle from him.

Seeing him smile, just a little, made her feel at ease. It was a different expression, a new one. Light filled his grey eyes with that one little humorous comment and Aya wanted him to smile more – she didn’t want to see him disinterested and sad; it was depressing to see him like that. Even as a child, he didn’t seem as the most cheerful of children. He kept his nose in the books and his thoughts to himself. But when he was with her, there was more warmth in his eyes. But life is cruel, it takes the sun away without consent.

“I made a new friend. His name is Hide.” Aya listened to him with interest, leaning herself forwards and resting her head on her hand as she watched him. “And I enrolled into Kamii University and that’s about it.”

“Mmm.” Aya murmured. “So, Hide? Is he a good friend to you?”

“He…” Ken gave it a thought. “He’s the best.”

Hideyoshi Nagachika, or how he prefers Hide, had been a friend to Ken since elementary school. The only friend, besides Aya, during his human life. He’s been there for him when Asaokas ostracized him, which really saved him from loneliness. Without him, he would probably give up on his life somewhere on the way. Hide was always there for him and now Ken was being the unfair friend – he was unable to tell him what was going on with him. He just pushing him away and disappeared.

Aya tilted her head to the side, watching the glistering in his grey eyes. His emotion changed – he was hurting deeply within himself. The change he had to accept, gave him something while it also took something from him. Part of his sanity and part of his human life. Her stare brought Ken from the depths of his thoughts and he glanced at her before he looked away – hiding his vulnerability. But Aya wasn’t judging – it told her that he didn’t completely abandoned his humanity.

“You still read books?” Aya broke the silence between them – drawing Ken’s thoughts away from thinking about Hide.

“Yeah.” Ken brushed away the small tears in the corners of his eyes – looking in the opposite direction from Aya as he did so. “You?”

“Sometimes.” Aya answered. “Things have been crazy for me after I joined Aogiri.” Aya sighed, resting her elbows on the railing.

A cold breeze ran pass Aya and she felt herself shivering to it. But she didn’t want to leave, she wanted to be with Ken even it meant being silent and saying nothing. Ken was a breath of fresh air – she was surrounded by ghouls to whom she had to appear as an example. Tatara expected of her too play her role as an Executive of Aogiri, and so did Eto even though she barely ever told her anything about it. And then there was Ayato, who would only mock her if she ever left her guard down. And around Ken – she felt as if she didn’t have to hold that guard up, she could just relax and not act to someone’s standards.

“How did it start?” Aya suddenly asked non-specifically. earning a curious stare. “When you became a Ghoul?” She asked – finding a topic that could continue their conversation.

Ken was surprised by her question, wondering about her curiosity, but he didn’t oppose it. Among all the ghouls of Aogiri Tree, only Aya was familiar to him and he found comfort in that familiarity. There was something cold inside of him after Yamori’s torture, but still, he needed someone or something to keep him warm – to keep him human. And he clung to someone who he believed could help him – help him remain sane in this crazed world, keep him focused on his goal. 

“It was… scary.” Ken remembered. “I compared my condition to Franz Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” and Sen Takatsuki’s “Black Goat’s Egg”.”

“Huh… you compared yourself to a giant ant struggling with the change and a son of a serial killer who is struggling with a dying need to kill… Right?” Aya murmured.

“You read them?”

“Many times.” She answered. “Both are amazing works. A ghoul could definitely relate.”

It had been a long time since she last read – being part of Aogiri didn’t always inspire a need for her to read. From one plan to another, Aya only had strategist inside her head. But she does remember Kafka’s works and especially Takatsuki’s works. They were all beautiful described – dark and mysterious just as she likes her books. It felt like she was actually reading about ghouls and not humans whose every day problem is love, finances or shallow goals. Ken interpreted those books differently – he found his situations within them. And when he couldn’t explain, the book explained for him.

And in a way, for Aya, books reminded her of Ken Kaneki – her first friend. It reminded her of life before it got twisted into a nightmare in which she learned how to thrive. It reminded her how she thought life was beautiful. It reminded her of time when she thought she will be able to live among humans. _I was an idiot._ But still Aya hoped that one day ghouls will have their rights and won’t be addressed as monsters. _Humans are true monsters._ Or at least they became monsters to her after she became aware of how the world works.

“Did you thought of me?”

Aya found herself wondering if she ever, _a ghoul,_ mattered anything to _a human –_ ex-human turned half-ghoul. Her eyes wondered from the night lights to white haired half-human resting his elbows on the railing. And she saw his little blush appearing on his pale cheeks. He was thinking of an answer – maybe feeling too embarrassed to confess that he even fantasied about meeting her again. In his fantasies, he saw her as his best friend or his girlfriend or wife or mother of his children or just as a girl who he could never reach – seeking for a thread to pull her in. And he did found a thread that led him to her – and in neither of his fantasies was he a half-ghoul or she a ghoul.

“I thought of you a lot.” Aya broke the silence that Ken unintentionally created – it was his thoughts that kept him too busy. “I thought of how we’ll meet again. Sometimes I even went as far as worrying how I’ll tell you that I am a ghoul. But then I realized that meeting you again would just get you in trouble. Trouble as if getting preyed upon. So, I stopped thinking about you. For a time.”

Without any hesitation, she revealed her thoughts and Ken struggled to let his voice out – to let himself be heard. His throat hurt from keeping everything to himself – so much that he felt like he wanted to scream out. He played with his fingers, rubbing skin against skin. Aya watched him – noticing the social anxiety with which he was seemingly struggling with. And Aya didn’t want to push him – she wanted to give him time to collect himself after everything that had happened to him.

“Anyway…” Aya gently drummed the railing with her hands. “It’s nice to see you again.” She said it with a smile.

And she turned on her heels. Ken felt as if he was suffocating because he was keeping the words he wanted to speak bottled up in his throat. He listened to her footsteps – to him they were moving in slow motion. He breathed in, gathering air as if he was gathering courage. And he turned around, his hands in his fists and determined expression on his face.

“Aya?”

She stopped, turning around to look at him. “Hm?”

“I did think of you. A lot. Almost every day.”

She let those words sink in. And then, a smile came to her face. An honest, happy and satisfied smile – almost too pure. With a gentle nod, she acknowledged his answer. There was light in her gentle blue eyes that Ken memorized before she turned around and left him alone in the cold.


	8. ➖ Hanged Man

**FIRST 9 TH WARD WAS ATTACKED, THEN 10TH WARD, AND THEN UNEXPECTED TRANSPORT WAS SCHEDULED BY CCG WITH A PERSON OF INTEREST BEING TRANSPORTED. **And that person of interest being Naki – leader of group of ghouls known as White Suits – originally founded by Yamori. At this point, Aogiri was desperate to recruit more strong ghouls into their ranks and Yamori’s right-hand man who somehow managed to get captured by CCG, seemed like a worthy recruit. And it was thanks to Aya that information of Naki’s transport came to the surface. Along with that, their attack on Cochlea had to be delayed.

Aya adored new clothes – just as Tatara wanted off her. She wore a black jumpsuit with her usual black combat boots that were slowly wearing out – but she liked them the best. And over her hard wearing fabric of the jumpsuit which to her preference was not sticking to her skin – was the usual Aogiri cloak. She liked blending in with the rest. And she liked to use her own element of surprise. There is nothing more than she enjoyed but to see the shocked expression on doves’ faces when they notice that it is Kitsune they’re dealing with. But also, it made other subordinates feel a bit more comfortable.

On top of the tall building, above the empty highway in the least busy time of the night, stood Aya with a group of Aogiri members. And soon, the group was joined by Ayato Kirishima and Ken Kaneki. Ayato was not pleased. Working alongside a person who brutally broke his bones was a silent torture. Every time he looked at Ken, he thought of how badly he wants to break every single bone within his body – just out of fun and a little bit of revenge. But fighting among members of Aogiri was not allowed and Ayato didn’t want to try and see what Tatara will do to him if he even tries to murder Ken.

Aya was crouching on the edge of the roof – loss of balance keeping her from falling down from such height. In the distance, red and blue light flashed closer and closer. Ayato and Ken came to stand on each side of her, examining the same view as Aya. With Ayato and Ken finally by her side, she was ready to begin.

“Take your positions.”

With Aya’s command coming through the black medical mask, all the subordinates rushed pass the three of them and jumped down the building – this cloaks levitating in the air with them as they slowly came to land onto the road. They hid behind the walls of the highway, waiting carefully for their time to act.

“What’s the plan?” Ayato wondered.

“Ken you’ll block their path, Ayato you’ll attack from the back and leave the truck to me. The others will do the rest.”

Ken scanned their position – in his head he already found a way of stopping the transport without throwing himself onto the road to block their path. Tilting his head to the side, Ken examined both Aya and Ayato. They seemed relaxed. Aya was crouching by the very edge with her elbows resting in her knees – her body calm despite the height underneath her. Ayato stood right beside her, his hands in the pockets of his pants. Ken felt out of place – he did not feel relaxed. From killings in 9th Ward to killings in 10th Ward, Ken had so much blood on his hands – it wasn’t him, he could never do something like that. But something within him changed – it was worst. The only motivation that kept him going is the goal he lived for – become stronger and protect Anteiku.

“It’s time.”

Aya raised onto her feet and looked over her shoulder at Ken who snapped out of his troubled thoughts. Her eyes indicated that he was the one that will make the first move. He gave her a firm nod, understanding her command and rushed off the roof. The eyepatch mask hid away his appearance and the grey eye of his change its color. With bright red eye of a ghoul, the red kagune emerged from the back of his waist and aimed for the concrete wall fence of the highway above the road on which the CCG vehicles were approaching.

The wall broke in pieces upon heavy kagune’s contact and fell onto the road underneath, causing the CCG cars to come to a sudden and forceful stop. Ayato swooped in, shooting crystallized bullets from his ukaku kagune onto the cars behind the truck. But the truck did not intend to come to a stop – upon seeing what was happening, the driver stepped onto the gas pedal, following the protocol which said that whatever happens, the vehicle transporting a ghoul had to continue. However, while pushing through the CCG vehicle, flash of red passed by them and with a loud blow, the truck flipped to the side – sliding on the road until it hit the wall.

The surviving CCG members emerged from their cars and aimed towards the only ghouls they could see at the moment – Kitsune, Eyepatch and Black Rabbit; standing in the middle of the road. But their view was blocked when suddenly a group of Aogiri came into their view as a surprise card. The ghouls attacked the remaining CCG members, leaving no one alive to tell the story.

Ken and Ayato came to Aya’s side. There was a sound behind them and all three of them turned to see two figures standing on top of the street light – standing very still almost in the way that made Aya’s skin crawl. One in white with black and white horizontal-striped mask and a hole in the right eye. One in black with black and white vertical-striped mask and a hole in the left eye. They stood on the street lamp and they examined them – or more specifically: they were watching Ken.

“Aya?” Ayato murmured very quietly.

Aya already predicted his unspoken question. “Don’t know.” She didn’t like them.

With a cracking sound, there emerged three tails of rinkaku kagune on their waist – kagune that was the same as Ken’s. _Now that’s interesting_ – Aya thought with a grin coming to her lips hidden underneath the mask. Ken however had a different reaction – he gasped in shock, his visible grey eyes widening at the sight. The two girls jumped in the air, their direction of landing directed towards Ken. Ken’s kagune erupted and he blocked them in the nick of time. Thousands of thoughts still passed through his head. Snapping out of the shock and thoughts regarding the girls with the same kagune as him, Ken pushed them away.

The girls jumped off, landing onto the wall that barricaded each side of the road. And the girls gripped onto their masks before taking them off – revealing something very interesting. Both had one eye of a ghoul – they were the same as Ken – artificial one-eyed ghouls. _How very interesting…_

An explosion took Ayato and Ken’s attention from the two girls, but not Aya’s. She stared at them as they took that distraction as an opportunity to disappear. When Ken looked back into their direction, they were no longer there – leaving him with troubled thoughts that contained many unanswered questions.

“Shit! Get him out of there!” Ayato commanded the ghouls – rushing towards the track that was burning with a possibility of exploding into pieces. “Hurry, damn it!”

And while Ayato rushed the others, Ken turned to Aya. “Where did they go?”

She looked at him and shrugged with her shoulders – answering with little to no concern. Aya turned on her heels, she made her way towards Ayato and the group of ghouls. Ayato came to a halt before the back of the truck when banging begun from inside – along with a few screams of humans. Ayato stood there on alert – not knowing what to expect. There was yelling as well, almost as if someone was crying and the first through that came to Ayato’s mind is that Naki was being burned alive within the truck. With a loud scream, the door burst open and a man in prisoner’s clothes jumped out from the truck which was filled with fresh corpses of the men that guarded him.

“Where’s my boss?! Where’s Yamori?! Take me to him!”

Within his tantrum, Naki – right-hand man of Yamori – begun to attack Ayato. Ayato was definitely caught with his guard down, but that didn’t stop him from dodging Naki’s aimless attacks. He tried to make reason, but it felt as if he was trying to talk down a child from buying a toy – impossible. Seeing an opening in Naki’s swings, Ayato twirled on his leg and with strength in his other leg, he kicked the childish ghoul. The ghoul with broken feelings landed into the fence on the highway. Naki’s back creating a dent in the metal barricade which a ghoul like him barely felt to describe it as painful.

He sobbed. “Boss…” Aya raised her eyebrows at the ghoul as she came to stand next to Ayato. “My feelings are infernal! Take me to Yamori or I’ll incinerate you!” Just like a child, the ghoul begun to trash with his arms and legs.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Ayato commented the childish scene in front of him. “All the convicts we could have busted out; we choose this dumbass?” Ayato gestured towards hysterically crying Naki, looking at Aya with annoyed expression – to his question, Aya shrug with her shoulder, speechless at this point.

“What did you call me!?” Naki confronted Ayato. “No one talks to me like that and lives! No one except for boss Yamori! And you ain’t, you hear!?” He cracked his finger – in the same matter as Yamori used to do. “So, I’ll pound you into a bloody pulp!”

Aya shook her head at the dramatic behavior. “Calm yourself.” She said with edge in her voice. “We need to leave before doves show up. So, Naki you can either stay and give them a welcoming tantrum or you can come with us and live another day.” Aya spoke with a reasonable tone.

Naki stared at her for a moment, glaring at both, Aya and Ayato. There’s more he had to say, but when the sounds of CCG police reached their ears – whatever he had to say was put as a reminded in his head for later. The ghouls disappeared before the CCG police arrived – leaving them to witness the corpses of all the CCG members that were tasked with responsibility of transporting Naki to Cochlea.

Ken followed after Aya and Ayato left with heavy thoughts. On his way towards the abandoned building though the tunnel, all he could think about who were the two girls with the same kagune as him and the same one ghoul eyes. Within Aogiri, he felt as if he was given more questions than answers.

◾

The shop “Toy Island” in the abandoned building was completely trashed when Aya revealed that Yamori was no longer among the living. Naki threw toys out, and one teddy bear almost landed in Aya’s face. She leaned to the side, successfully dodging the harmless toy. Gagi and Guge, members of White Suits, came when they were informed by one subordinate of Aogiri Tree that their new leader was saved. The twin brothers tried their best to calm their new boss – but as Naki was having a drastic breakdown, his emotions were all over the place.

“Boss Yamori!” Naki yelled as he trashed on the ground.

Ken stood by Aya’s side, watching Naki as he kept yelling while Gagi and Guge tried to calm him down. Ayato scoffed at the extremely loud ghoul and left. Ken expected Aya to be the next to leave, but instead, she stood there watching. He didn’t know what was the expression that hid in her eyes – was she happy that Yamori is dead, was she sad, did she even feel anything. _Pity? Grief? Content?_ Ken couldn’t decipher Aya’s feelings. While he didn’t know her feelings, he knew his own. His face seemed indifferent, but within, he was feeling guilt and confusion. He wondered how could a man like Yamori even be missed by someone. He was brutal and loved to torture others, so _why did Naki cried so much for him?_

“Boss, come back! If you’re gone, what does that make me?!” Naki cried out, reaching out to fallen wax crayons which were scattered on the ground. “I wanna see you. Even if it’s just your name. Boss Yamori…”

Gripping to the crayon, he begun to write in red – but the letters he wrote did not say Yamori’s name. Naki lacked education – just as most ghouls did since they grew up separated from human community which was offered far more that ghoul community. Gage and Guge looked at one another, shrugging as neither of them knew how to even write. Ken watched Naki struggle to write down Yamori’s name – and he felt pity. He stepped to the devastated ghoul and took black crayon. He wrote upside down, for the name to face Naki.

With red crying eyes, Naki looked at him. “So, is that, how it’s spelled?”

“Yeah.” Ken answered indifferently.

Naki looked at the letters, touched them as if he could physically feel them and tears fell from his eyes. Once again, he broke down in loud cries, staining the ground with his tears. Ken got up onto his feet and looked at Aya’s direction – there was a look in her eyes as if she was impressed, or maybe she was seeing through him; seeing the stinging feeling of guilt within his heart. He was facing his past action – and he learned that there were always consequences.

“Hey, Eyepatch!” Ken looked back at the loud ghoul. “You’re a really good guy, I mean it. Thanks for helping me out, man.”

And the guilt in his heart grew stronger – but he couldn’t confess to Naki that it was actually him that killed him. _Such karma._ And those words did not only awake guilt, but also that tiny little piece of himself that questioned his choice for joining Aogiri. _After all the things I’ve done – how can I be good?_ With lowered head, and troubled thoughts weighing on his shoulders, he walked pass Aya and retreated somewhere where he could be alone.

With a small sigh leaving her parted lips, Aya looked up – she saw Tatara and Eto watching everything unfold. And Aya found her way up towards them – putting Naki’s crying in the background by trying her best to ignore how loud he was being with his emotions. For now, she was not too happy with Naki, but she strongly believed that his mourning for Yamori will pass soon enough and he’ll prove himself worthy.

“We need more men if we want to attack Cochlea.” Tatara commented as he begun to walk away to mute Naki’s crying – Eto and Aya followed next to him.

“So we’ll delay the attack?”

“Yes.” Tatara confirmed. “I’ve heard about groups of ghouls hiding in 24th Ward. Eto, Noro and I will recruit them into our ranks to expand our numbers. I believe there are quite a few ghouls that would like to infiltrate Cochlea.”

“Mm.” Aya nodded.

By now, they though their numbers will be high enough to attack such stronghold, but to be certain, they needed more to make sure that the attack on Cochlea ends successfully – there could be no mistakes. Their numbers will grow after that attack – at least that’s what Tatara and Aya calculated. But Cochlea was not the only thing that was on Aya’s mind at the moment.

“Kanou is here somewhere.” She revealed. “Two girls attacked us during our attack on the CCG transport. Well, they attacked Ken actually. And they had Rize’s kagune and one ghoul eye.”

“Kanou sent them?”

“Mmm. I believe so.” Aya pointed out. “He’s making more one-eyed ghouls. We just need to find where.”

“I’ll leave that to you.” Aya came to a stop to look at Tatara – seeking more explanation. “No one else can know. You’ll track Kanou down and persuade him to join Aogiri.”

“You want me work out a plan for Cochlea and you also want to me find Kanou?” Aya questioned in disbelief – her list of duties just piling up.

“The One-Eyed King wants you to be less involved physically on missions. You’re making too much noise lately.” Tatara revealed, receiving an offended expression from Aya. “The others can help you with Cochlea. But as for Kanou, keep it for yourself. No one can know expect you, me, Eto and Noro.”

Aya let out a large amount of breath that seemed to occupy her lungs. “And how the hell will I persuade Kanou into joining Aogiri?”

It was Tatara that recruited people into Aogiri – not Aya. She still had much to learn when it came to leadership, and didn’t trust herself to be up for such a task.

“Think, Aya. We have something he wants to keep a close eye on.”

Aya watched as Tatara walked away with a giggling Eto following after him into the long hallway. _He’s being used…_ Aya’s arms wrapped around her with a need to laugh from desperation. _That’s why Eto made Ken join…_ Aya was not an idiot – maybe sometimes she denying the truth but in the end, that what she denies, ends up being exactly what it is. And it hurt Aya to know she was being cruel to the boy who made her smile when she was a child, who made her feel less lonely and who made her think she’ll have a beautiful life.

For the sake of Aogiri, Aya was letting herself be twisted and morphed into someone whose only intention is to use others and throw them away when they are of no use anymore. _That’s what Tatara wants…_ It was clear Tatara was trying to break her – she wasn’t blind to it. And he knew that Ken Kaneki meant something to her. No one in Aogiri really matter to her until Ken came and Tatara was troubled by it. _That’s why he’s testing me…_

◾

_Making too much noise…_ Aya huffed in irritation. _I need to let loose somehow._ Pulling on her bangs, Aya split them up and pinned them on each side with hair pin – crossing them in X. They have grown longer and most of the time they would poke her eyes. Aya was considering of letting her bangs grow. _Occupying my thoughts with unnecessary thoughts again…_ Aya let out a sigh and placed her face into her hands.

“Hey, idiot!”

Something hit her head and with a glare she looked up to see Ayato standing by the frame of her small room. But she said nothing. Instead, she looked down at the maps with Cochlea’s levels, floor plants, blueprints and other designs – each had something in red written on them. Among those plans, sticking out was a fluffy black rabbit keychain.

“It’s your birthday, isn’t it?”

 _My birthday?_ It took Aya a second to realize it was _December 31 st, _a date that became meaningless to her. Some celebrated a New Year, some did this on December 31st, some did that on December 31st and to Aya, December 31st was the day she was born 18 years ago. And she forgot about it – ever since she joined Aogiri, her birthdays did not exist anymore. To ghouls, those days were unimportant, yet _Ayato remembered._

“Thank you…” Aya picked up the little fluffy keychain – such small gift of affection warming up her chest. “Didn’t know you could be affectional.” Ayato scoffed at her, his cheeks warming up a bit with embarrassment since affection was not something Ayato commonly showed.

“Shut up, you idiot.” He snapped at her, ready to walk away to hid his flushed face.

“Hey, Ayato.” As she called his name, he stopped. “It’s nice what you’re doing for your sister.”

Ayato and Touka had not been on best of terms. Ayato did not like her lifestyle of blending with the humans and pretending to be one. That might even be the reason why Ayato left Anteiku in the first place – to become stronger and to be what he is: a ghoul; and not pretend to be a human. But he had changed – his sister got target by CCG as Rabbit and after their confrontation, in order to protect her, he let took the alias Black Rabbit to draw attention to himself. They both had the same ukaku kagune, therefore it was not hard to make CCG believe Rabbit is with Aogiri.

“Whatever.” Ayato scoffed, looking unaffected, but Aya knew that was just a façade – all he wanted is to protect Touka, whatever she knows it or not.

As Ayato left, Aya let out little smile and she leaned in her chair – dangling the black rabbit keychain in front of her. It was a nice small gift, enough to changed Aya’s mood from irritated and weary to happy. But she definitely didn’t expect from Ayato such gift of affection – she didn’t expect it from anyone. Yet, Ayato pleasantly surprised her.

Soft footsteps in the hallway interrupted Aya. She placed the black rabbit onto the table and watched the door – waiting for the one that was approaching. A mop of white hair caught her attention first, and then those grey eyes filled with void. Ken Kaneki stood there, genuinely surprising her with his presence. He seemed desperate, as if part of him was dying.

“Busy?” He asked her with a monotone, to which Aya shook her head negatively. “Wanna go catch some fresh air?”

_How can I say no when you look so hurt?_

**Author's Note:**

> Story also available on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/831666492-kitsune


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